Almost 30 years of ownership I had to replace the blades twice in this shear. I'm not a raving HF or Chinese tool fan, but having a limited budget, I'm forced to make compromises. A few decades ago I worked almost everyday with a Beverely B-1 shear and have to say that when doing sheetmetal work, these shears are THE best tool for getting tight fitting panels. A Beverly B-1 (even used if you are lucky enough to find one) will set you back about $300-400, while new they sell between $600 - $700.
At the time I couldn't afford that kind of money for a shear and decided to give the HF throatless Beverly "knockoff" a try. It's not as tight and refined as a Beverly, BUT is well made and will cut sheet metal just as well. These shears suffered from a real "Bad" reputation when first introduced. However, the problem wasn't actually with the shear's castings at the time, but rather the quality of the blades -- they tended to chip and were not well ground. As a consequence the blades needed constant adjustment and alignment -- dialup bulletin boards at the time were filled with "fixes" concerning the blades.
Back in 1998 I ordered a new set blades from HF. The quality had improved significantly and the grind was much more refined and smooth which allowed the blades to mesh better under stress. The new blades made the HF (and Eastwood, Grizzly, Enco) shears VERY good tools. Still not as smooth a frame casting as the Beverly B1, but for the price of the frame and the blades, it was a no brainer.
So these blades have lasted for 12 years and last night I replaced them with a new set. I love this shear!!! HF has it on sale three-four times a year for less than $90 (I think I paid $55 for it back in the ealry 90s) and the replacement blades are less than $40 -- try getting a Beverly B1 blade for that kind of money :toothy9:
I mounted my shear on a cheap HF grinder stand and it's never tipped, so this entire setup cost me about $65 some years ago. That is not a bad price for such a useful tool. It's not a Beverly B-1, but comes very close. A great tool at a great price for the hobbyist.
